Third week of ASHSAA Boys Basketball season — SPA showing it has the ‘heart’ for the game

The American Samoa High School Athletic Association (ASHSAA) boys basketball season is now well into its third week of play.

One of the school’s that is suiting up a team this season, is the South Pacific Academy-SPA Dolphins, who has not fielded a team in quite some time. SPA has a Varsity squad with only six players and no Junior Varsity team.

In a game where ‘height’ plays to your advantage, SPA lacks, but according to school principal, Evelyn Lili’o Satele, this is the team with the most heart. “This is the first year that South Pacific has had a team in several years. The boys wanted so much to have a team to celebrate our new gym,” she said.

“We are still raising money to do the finish work on our gym. We don’t have rims yet. They have been practicing with anything that they had. We are so proud of them for the heart they are showing by sticking with this and by showing the true spirit that SPA has. We have not had a team in about four years, so this is a generation that has not played yet. As soon as we have our rims in the gym, you will see a lot more. This is the team with most heart,” she said.

In their last this past Monday at the Samoana High School gymnasium against the host school Sharks, they were able to put in only 6 hard earned points, while the Sharks walked away 56 points. Each time the Dolphins touched the ball, fans from both schools was cheering for them, as was some of the Sharks players as well.

SPA’s next game is today against the Fa’asao Marist Crusaders with the location to be announced. The other game scheduled for today is the Manumalo Baptist Academy Flames versus the Leone Lions. Tomorrow, Thursday, Jan. 26 Faga’itua versus Samoana and Nu’uuli VocTech versus Leone. On Friday Jan. 27 Tafuna versus Fa’asao Marist Crusaders versus and Manumalo Baptist Academy Flame versus South Pacific Academy.

Due to no games being played at Tafuna High School at this time, a lot of the games have a ‘To Be Announced’ (TBA) venue. For more information on all of the games and their locations, you can contact the ASHSAA office at 699-1657 and ask for ASHSAA basketball coordinator Valusia Talataina.

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